Happy Birthday Zigster!
by ZigsBDay
Summary: This is a compilation of drabbles and one shots in honor of the fabulous Zigster. Hope you have a super special birthday girl! We love you! xo
1. Yogagal

**A/N:** HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my first fanfic friends ever - Zigs. We've been through a ton together...fics, contests, Jax, mmm...hee hee. Hope you have a fabulous birthday filled with fab fic, fab music and lots of boylovin. xoxo

A big thanks to PerfectlyPersuasive for beta-ing this bad boy.

and Zigs...the HP shiz? only for you bb. only for you. *mwah*

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_He unzipped his pants and pulled it out, much to the other man's astonishment. _  
_"Now let's see what kind of magic I can create with this," he said, a devilish look on his face. _  
_Harry's eyes grew wide as he licked his lips. _  
_"Y-y-your w-w-wand...it's so so big!" he exclaimed as he watched Draco stroke it up and down. _  
_He cocked an eyebrow before taking..._

"Edward!"

I slammed the laptop shut just in time and dropped my hands to my lap to hide my hard on. The door to my room burst open, a grinning Jasper standing on the other side.

"Hey man!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

"Dude, nobody should be this excited to go running. Especially..." I glanced at the clock nearby and saw that it read eight-thirty. "...this early."

"Quit your bitchin'," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Jasper walked into my room, but kept the door open. Looking around, he spotted my sneaks near the closet and bent down to retrieve them. As he did, the gym shorts that he was wearing stretched across his ass, drawing my eyes straight to it. As if he could feel the heat of my stare, Jasper stood up suddenly and tossed the sneakers at me.

"Lace up, Edward; we've got a schedule to keep," he told me, tapping an imaginary watch on his wrist.

I groaned but quickly tied my shoes before standing up to stretch. I grabbed one foot and pulled it back, stretching out my quad, before doing the same wit the other leg. A couple of arm stretches and I was good to go. I looked back to see Jasper's gaze moving from my waist back up to my face. I quirked an eyebrow at him and was treated to the most delicious blush in response.  
_  
Did I just catch him checking me out?_

I suppressed the grin that threatened to erupt and instead, just smacked his ass as I headed out the door, leaving a wide-eyed, slack-jawed Jasper in my wake. As we hit the track near my dorm, neither of us spoke, which was fine by me. I had no idea where the sudden burst of confidence had come from back in my room, and I wasn't sure I'd be getting a second dose anytime soon. I kept trying to sneak glances at Jasper out of the corner of my eye, but my hair whipping in my face and the sweat ripping down my forehead prevented me from getting a real good look.

Instead, I concentrated on my running, the burn in my lungs and legs felt good as I pushed myself even harder, making multiple passes along the track. Despite my earlier grumbling, I actually loved to run. In high school, when I had come out for the first time to all my friends, it was the one thing I could do to escape things. I was lucky in the sense that nobody seemed angry or upset with me when I came out, but there were still times when I needed to get away from all the talk of dances and boyfriends and relationships. While I was out and proud, it seemed that nobody else in my small town was, and it was easy to feel alone at times.

Thankfully, when I made it to college, a lot of that changed. I was able to be out and not be alone. Granted, that didn't mean that it was now suddenly easy as pie to get a date. I had been on my fair share of craptastic dates, including one with some guy named Mike who showed up wearing a gold mesh tank top and told me I'd be 'riding his pony,' by the end of the night. I think it's safe to say that pony never made it out of his stall. So, in between the occasional date and focusing on my school work, I ran. That's how I met Jasper. We noticed that we were at the track a lot at the same time, and we started talking during our cool down stretches. We realized that we lived in the same dorm and ended up meeting up for meals or even a movie every random Saturday night.

I was ninety-nine percent sure that Jasper was gay, or at least bisexual. The fact that he openly said that he'd sex up a young Sean Connery while we had a Bond night pretty much sealed the deal for me. Yet, neither of us made a move, and we found ourselves stuck in the friend zone despite the fact that it was insanely filled with sexual tension, at least on my end. There was never a night I went home after hanging out with Jasper that I didn't find myself in bed, dick in hand, stroking myself until finally sated. Thank fuck for lucking out and snagging a single room my sophomore year.

After almost an hour of pushing ourselves to the limit, Jasper and I finally slowed down, heading off to the grass for our cool down stretches. It was hard not to stare as he sat on the ground, legs spread wide and leaned over to grab his toes. His shaggy blond hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, yet pieces were falling in his face as he continued to stretch. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead and upper lip, and I would have given anything to reach over and lick it dry.

"Ungh..." he groaned, and I really couldn't help but wish that he was making that noise for another reason.

"Are you gonna stretch or just stare at my fine ass all day?"

Jasper's words startled me, and I realized that I was totally hypnotized watching him stretch.

"I...uh...huh?" I mumbled, totally at a loss for words.

Jasper smirked before shaking his head and standing up.

"So, what were you working on before?" he asked, and while I was thankful that he didn't dwell on my overt ogling, I really didn't want to discuss this either.

"Oh, uh. Nothing. Just some homework," I shrugged.

There was no way in hell I was going to tell Jasper what I was really doing. It was embarrassing enough that not only did I still love reading my collection of _Harry Potter _books, but I was completely addicted to reading fanfiction based off of them. The moment I found out that people paired up Harry and Draco and put them in some rather, um, compromising situations, I was beyond hooked. Yeah, there was no reason to tell Jasper any of that. Thankfully, he let it go and hunched forward, offering me his hand. I grabbed it, glad that his palms were sweaty too.

"Let's head back, okay? I could use a shower," Jasper said and automatically my thoughts drifted to him, wet and naked, with soapy bubbles dripping off his hard...

"Edward?"

I looked up, broken out of my Jasper-induced trance once again.

"Huh? Yeah, sounds good," I said, flashing him a smile.

Jasper dropped me off at my room, and we made plans to meet up at the cafeteria for dinner later that night. I kicked off my shoes, swapping them for flip flops and grabbed my shower kit and a towel. I ended up staying a bit longer in the shower then I had intended. My mind kept drifting back to Jasper stretching on the grass, his legs spread open wide as his hands roamed his body. Soon I was as hard as a rock, and thankfully, nobody else was in the bathroom. I took full advantage of that and within minutes was hissing out Jasper's name into the steam. I looked down as my jizz swirled into the drain, remembering why I wore my flip flops in the shower in the first place.

I quickly dried off and wrapped my towel around my waist. When I got back to my room, I noticed that my door was open slightly, but I could have sworn I closed it before. I pushed the door open the rest of the way, but was not prepared for the sight in front of me. Jasper was there, clean, and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, sitting at my desk, reading the last page I had been on off my laptop!

_What. The. Fuck._

I rushed over without even thinking, tripping over my flip flops in the process. I almost tumbled into Jasper but steadied myself at the last second, snapping the laptop shut. Unfortunately, my towel didn't get the memo, and we both watched as it fluttered to the ground. I immediately bent down to grab my towel, but Jasper beat me to the punch. He already had it in his hand when he straightened up, his face coming in direct eye line with my now quickly hardening cock.

_Fuuuuuuuck._

As if this situation couldn't get anymore awkward... oh, wait, yes it could. Because then, Jasper began to speak.

"Mmm..." he sighed. "Are you looking to conjure up a little...magic?"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole," I said, my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

I looked everywhere but at Jasper, until it just got to be too much. He just remained fucking silent, and I couldn't take it anymore. I glanced down at him and the expression on his face told me he wasn't joking. At all.

Then, my world came to a crashing standstill when I felt Jasper's warm breath against my hip. He followed it up by brushing the tip of his nose against the skin right below the bone, and I had to brace my hand on the desk to steady myself.

"J-J-Jasper," I stuttered out, unable to formulate an entire sentence.

He looked up at me through his thick eyelashes and winked. He fucking winked.

"Is this okay, Edward?" he asked, as if his face being mere inches from my excruciatingly hard cock was not okay. Of course it was fucking okay!

"F-f-fine," I managed to stammer out.

"Good," he growled before licking his lips.

After that, a mass of sensations took over. Jasper's hands came up to grip my waist and pull me closer to him. Stumbling forward, my hands made their way to his head, and I instinctively gripped his hair. Realizing what I just did, I quickly pulled them back, only to be met with another growl from Jasper. One of his hands flew up from my waist, only to grasp my arm, tugging my hand towards his hair. Smirking, I threaded my hands back in and gave an experimental tug. Jasper groaned, and I took a moment to bask in the sound. It didn't last long, because at that moment his lips made contact with my cock and all thought went flying out the door.

I closed my eyes, wanting to feel everything Jasper was doing, still not convinced that this was entirely real. Jasper's wet mouth encompassed the head of my dick, his tongue darting out to taste the skin. His fingers rubbed gentle circles right under my pubic bone while his mouth began to slowly work its way up and down my cock. I couldn't help but moan at the feeling, almost embarrassed at how quickly I was going to climax. Jasper must have sensed my impending release because he pulled back to make long, languid licks up and down my shaft, kissing the head of my dick each time he passed it.

"More," I hissed out, needing more of everything - his touch, his mouth, just more of him.

Jasper opened his mouth and engulfed me again, trapping my cock in his hot mouth. His head started to bob up and down while his teeth barely grazed the skin of my dick. A tremor shot through me as Jasper hummed around my cock, sending me to the edge. The humming gave way to intense sucking when Jasper hollowed out his cheeks, creating the most wonderfully tight sensation as he took me further into his mouth. His hand caressed what his mouth couldn't take in, and when his other hand moved down to tug on my balls, I lost it. I grunted out that I was coming, hardly giving him any warning, but Jasper didn't seem to mind, relaxing his throat and swallowing around me.

I stumbled back slightly, my legs having turned to jello. Jasper caught me before I took a spill and walked me towards the bed, where we both collapsed. I spied the towel that had dropped near the edge of the bed and plucked it up, covering my now flaccid cock.

"A bit late to be getting shy on me, Edward." Jasper smirked and turned his gaze toward me.

I rolled my eyes and tossed my arm over to him, dragging him closer.

"Thanks," I mumbled, still a bit shell-shocked.

"You're welcome. It truly was my pleasure."

Jasper muttered something else under his breath, but I didn't catch it.

"What was that?"

"Uh," stalled Jasper. "I was just saying that it took long enough for that to happen."

"Oh." I blushed, not really knowing how to respond.

"Must have finally been some magic in the air or something..." Jasper said with a smirk.

I brought my finger down to his nipple, lightly caressing before twisting the hell out of it.

"Motherfucker!" he shouted, and I grinned.

"You deserved it," I snorted, watching him rub his now red nipple.

Jasper huffed and stuck his tongue out. I leaned over and placed a rather chaste kiss on his nipple before working my way up his body, aligning my lips with his.

"Better?" I asked and felt Jasper nod his head.

I moved a speck closer and kissed his lips, relishing the way they felt against mine. Our kisses grew more heated, and when Jasper slid his tongue into my mouth, I couldn't help but reciprocate. I shifted towards him, feeling his hard cock push into my thigh.

"You might need to conjure something up to help get rid of that," he snickered. Instead of answering him with words, I grabbed his cock through his pants, eliciting a moan in response.

I loved that while Jasper's teasing was lighthearted, he didn't seem all that put off by what he had read, and in fact, it seemed to have spurred the heavenly reaction I was treated to only minutes before. However, that didn't mean I wasn't about to tease the hell out of him...


	2. FDM

_To my PF, my Pagan Fiance, I wish you the happiest of birthdays and many, many more returns. I love you so very much, and I hope that you, and everyone around you, know what a special, caring, and wonderful person you are. You are selfless, generous, and full of joy and happiness. You've even made me write fluff. Again. Damn it. You and YogaGal are going to ruin me. _

_So my darling PF, Happy Birthday. A little boy lovin' for you._

_Thanks to Zeewriter for doing last minute beta work and cleaning it all up!_

_

* * *

_

**Finger Painting**

I sighed as I tugged at the tie around my neck, trying to loosen it a bit more.

"Edward! Leave it alone. You look perfect," Alice insisted as she swatted my hands away.

"Seriously, Alice? I look like, like . . . well, I don't look like me," I pouted.

"And thank god for that," she snarked.

"Hey!"

"Hey what, Edward? Your 'usual' attire just won't cut it tonight, alright? This is an important night for me. This show always attracts a number of designers and agents, and if they like my stuff I might get an internship." She tightened up my tie again, practically choking me in the process. "Besides, you look good and there's somebody I want you to meet."

"Alice," I whined.

"Shut up, Edward. Rose is a great girl."

I huffed and shut up. I was sure Rose was a great girl, and right there was the problem—she was a girl. I hadn't come out to my sister yet, so Alice took every opportunity to try to fix me up with girls she thought would be right for me.

Awkward.

"Honestly, Edward. I don't understand you. You're so fickle. I'm not asking you to marry anyone yet, but at least go out, have some fun, get laid," she grumbled.

I grimaced. I really didn't want to discuss my sex life with Alice or, rather, my lack of a sex life. I wasn't a virgin, but the one night stands at the clubs inevitably left me unsatisfied. I'd even slept with a woman once, just to make sure. It was my high school girlfriend, Bella, and I spent most of the time looking at the poster of Leonardo DiCaprio she had above her bed and pretending I was fucking him. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. Bella and I remained friends after we broke up, and she was also the only person I'd come out to.

When I finally passed Alice's inspection we headed out the door. Our destination for the evening was her school. Alice was graduating from art college, and that night there was an exhibit for several of the graduates to showcase their work. The mediums were varied. Alice was a clothing designer, but she told me there would also be works by a couple of painters, a sculptor, and even a weaver.

I wasn't looking forward to it. I'd always found the shows Alice dragged me to pretentious, and usually didn't like the artwork either. I hated the way people milled about talking about the artist's "mood" or "influence," or how the painting "evoked" a visceral reaction in them, when all I could see was something that looked like a child finger painted.

Don't get me wrong, I was very proud of Alice, but I'd already seen all of her designs, and, by nature, I didn't mingle well. At the clubs it was different. I'd have a couple of drinks, the lighting was dim, the crowds were heavy, and I could lose myself in the anonymity. At events like Alice's, I had to actually stop and talk to people I didn't know, and discuss topics I had little interest in. All I wanted to do was stay home and work on my latest piece. My friend Tanya told me her dance company was looking for some new music, so I was writing something specifically for her, to showcase her abilities.

We arrived and Alice immediately began squealing with excitement, then she turned to me and warned, "This is important to me, Edward. Play nice."

I plastered a fake smile on my face, but under my breath I muttered, "Don't push your luck little one."

She stuck out her tongue at me before grinning, and I couldn't help the real smile that crept across my face. My sister may have been a pain in the ass at times, but I did love her. And since our parents died, we only had each other. So, I linked my arm through hers and we walked in. And it was . . . exactly as I'd imagined it. Pretentious artists, mingling with pretentious wannabe art critics and collectors, all while being preened over by the parents of said pretentious artists.

I grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter and made my way around as Alice detached herself from me to go check on her pieces. I looked across the room as she walked away, and nearly tripped and fell when my eyes landed on a thing of beauty. He was about six feet tall, had blond hair that fell across his forehead in lazy waves, and he was dressed casually—black pants that hung loose and low on his hips, a thin blue v-neck t-shirt, and a couple of necklaces completed his look. His face had a layer of scruff that gave him the look of someone who couldn't be bothered to shave that day, and instead of looking affected it made him look sexy as hell. But what riveted me were his eyes; they were a vivid blue that made me think of sunny islands and the feel of hands rubbing lotion on my skin. Lost in my ogling, it took me a moment to notice that his lovely mouth—and dear god, those lips of his—had quirked up in a smirk, and I flushed to the roots of my hair as I realized that I'd been caught staring.

I spun away, nearly spilling my drink in the process and quickly walked to one of the alcoves on the other side of the huge room, where a series of sculptures were on display. I downed the wine and grabbed another one as a server walked past me. I took a few deep breaths, and a few more sips of wine, and tried to put the smirking beauty out of my mind. I started to tour the exhibits.

_Boring_.

_Ugly._

_Really?_

_Huh. Interesting._

The paintings _were_ . . . interesting. No, not interesting, captivating—wild and yet, sensual.

"What do you think?" a male voice behind me asked; the southern inflection was unmistakable.

Without taking my eyes off the painting I told him what I thought and added, "The figures are anonymous, almost androgynous even, yet they exude such sensuality, and the brushstrokes are so big, so raw, it's almost . . ."

"Almost?" he egged.

"Almost like the artist was finger painting," I finished.

He moved closer and then his breath was against my ear as he whispered, "I _was_ finger painting."

My breath hitched and my body froze. _Could it be him?_ I wondered. Gathering my courage, I turned around slowly, but no one was there. My eyes darted around the room looking for him, but I didn't see him anywhere. My breathing started to come in pants and from across the room I could see Alice with a tall blond woman, and it was obvious she was looking for me. No way could I deal with meeting one of her friends at that moment. I turned and walked in the opposite direction, looking for somewhere to be alone for just a few minutes. I needed to collect myself, and I also realized that his low voice in my ear had me partially aroused. Jesus, if just a whisper from him could do that to me . . . I shuddered.

I found a small hallway with three closed doors. The first two were locked, but the third opened to a small storeroom. I sat down on a crate and loosened the stupid fucking tie Alice made me wear, then scrubbed my hands over my face before putting them on my knees. I leaned forward and just concentrated on my breathing. When I'd calmed a bit, I thought about him. He was stunning, and talented, but what game was he playing? Why tune me up and then walk away? Was he just messing with me? Straight guy making an ass out of the gay guy?

"What the fuck?" I groused.

"What the fuck, indeed," his low voice repeated.

I jumped from my perch on the crate and spun around; I never even heard the door. I found him leaning casually against it; legs crossed at the ankles, arms crossed in front of his chest. Those impossibly blue eyes of his were regarding me like I was a curiosity, but there was something else there too, behind the studied gaze, something . . .

"I've been watching you all night," he drawled, and he pushed himself off the door and began walking toward me. "You're not like the others, the ones who come to make themselves feel more cultured."

I shook my head, but my mouth didn't seem to want to work. My heart began thumping hard in my chest, and my body felt like it was buzzing. He took another step toward me, and for some reason I took one back.

"You liked my paintings," he stated. Another step forward, another back.

"Yes," I whispered, but I couldn't take my eyes off his mouth. Two more steps and my back hit the shelving behind me. He kept moving forward until he was inches away from me. His right hand reached out and grabbed the shelf on my left, partially caging me.

"Why?" he asked.

When I didn't respond, he gripped my chin in his hand and lifted it, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Mmmm, there you are. Now answer the question, chère."

I gulped as I stared at him, his eyes pinning me in place. "Because they're so sensual, erotic, it's like you're painting the people themselves, making love to them with your brushes or fingers, even though I can't tell if they're men or women," I answered, ending on a whisper and a prayer.

His lush mouth stretched into a smirk as he leaned a little closer and said, "I am painting them, and I do make love to their forms as I paint, but I _am_ also painting my lovers, and to answer your unasked question, some are women, some are men." He pulled back a bit and allowed his gaze to roam over my body. "I'd love to paint you," he said, his voice pitched low.

"But we're not lovers," I breathed.

"Well then, chère, we'll just have to remedy that, won't we?"

And then his mouth was on mine, commanding and insistent, and his lips were soft, full and warm, and when his tongue grazed me, seeking entrance, I moaned and opened to him, allowing him to explore and taste me. He pressed up against me, and I could feel him hard against my thigh and my hips bucked involuntarily. He chuckled and pulled away from my mouth, laving kisses along my jaw to my neck. His hand fisted in my hair and he ran his tongue up my neck to my ear and bit on my ear lobe. He gave my hair a tug, eliciting a low groan from me, and whispered, "Copper."

His hands moved to cup my face, thumbs stroking my cheeks as kissed his way across my cheeks to my eyes, kissing each one and saying, "Forest." He kissed his way down my throat again, yanking the tie open and sliding it off. His long fingers nimbly unbuttoned my shirt and his hands slid against my skin, along my side, one anchoring my hip and the other moving to the small of my back, where it lit a fire in me. His tongue trailed down my neck and across my collar bones before he kissed his way to my chest. "Mmmm, vanilla."

And then his lips were around my nipples and I was whimpering as my head flew back and one of my hands grasped the back of his head, encouraging him. His hair was soft and thick in my fingers, and when I scratched his scalp, he purred against my skin before I felt the sharp sting of his bite around my nipple. My back arched and a hissed, "Fuck," escaped my mouth, before he smoothed it over with his tongue.

"Mocha."

He was fucking painting me with his tongue; choosing colors and tasting me, and in no time he had my body wound so tight I thought I might snap with another flick of his tongue. My hands were gripping his shirt, desperate to hang on to something, anything, to ground me.

And then he slid to his knees, his mouth blazing a trail down my stomach. Without hesitation he undid my pants and yanked them and my boxer briefs down. My dick jumped out at him, straining for his attention, engorged and thick.

"Fuck yes," he growled. "Carnelian," he muttered before he licked the tip. A strangled moan escaped me. He looked up, smiled wide and swirled his tongue over the top without taking his eyes off me.

"Sweet Jesus," I whimpered.

Then he opened wide and swallowed me, all the way to the base. I almost came when I felt myself hit the back of his throat.

He began to slide up and down, working his tongue around, flicking it under the rim of my head, until I was nearly insane with the need to come. My hands fisted in his hair, guiding him but trying not to force his head down, although my body screamed with the need to just fuck his mouth and have done with it. I watched as I slid in and out of his mouth, but it became too much and I had to shut my eyes and let my head fall back again as I battled with the urge to come. Part of me just wanted to explode, while the other part wanted to enjoy the feel of his silky mouth forever.

I heard a slight rustling sound as he apparently rearranged himself, but my eyes flew open again when I felt his slick finger circling my hole.

"Lube?" I asked incredulously.

He eased off of me, grinned and said, "What can I say, I'm a fucking Boy Scout, always prepared. Now hush." And he took me down his throat again.

His mouth never faltered in its rhythm as he slowly pressed his finger into my ass and began to fuck me with it, before inserting another slick finger. In and out, over and over until suddenly he switched the angle, hitting my prostate just as his mouth slid all the way down again.

"Oh my fucking god!" I shouted as I came, my cock pulsing and throbbing in his mouth.

When he finished sucking and licking every drop, he stood and kissed me again. "Delicious."

Then he spun me around and I was bent over the crate I'd sat on earlier, my pants still around my ankles as he ran his hand down my back and over my ass. "So god damned beautiful," he muttered. I heard the tearing of foil and a moment later the slick, latex covered head of his cock was pressing into me.

He entered slow and careful, making sure I was adjusted to him before he pushed all the way in. "Oh fuck yeah, chère. You feel so fucking good."

And then he pulled almost all the way out before pushing back in again. His moves were slow, but deep.

"Yes," I hissed. "Oh shit, yes," I continued as he stroked me inside, stretching me in fantastic ways and hitting me in just the right spot to bring my cock back to life.

He leaned over me, his chest against my back and turned my head to the side so he could kiss me. As he thrust in again he said, "_This_ is yellow." And he continued to fuck me like that, pressed against me, oh so deep, and I was panting against his mouth as he kept me in place.

With a last kiss he released my head and pressed down between my shoulder blades and began to speed up, his thrusts coming faster and stronger. "Orange," he growled, "this is fucking orange."

I could do nothing but give in to the sensations and behind my eyes all I saw was the color orange swirling around, a vortex that held me and spun me and spiraled with pleasure.

He pulled back, his hands on my hips, and he began to fuck me harder and faster, the sounds of our skin slapping echoed through the room, punctuated by my grunts and moans. I held on to the crate, trying not to be slammed against it as he pounded into me, brushing across my prostate with every stroke. "And this, chère, this is red. Fuck yes, this is red," he said as he reached down and grabbed my cock, expertly timing his strokes with his thrusts until I came with a scream, turning my face into my arm to try and silence it.

"Fucking hell," he muttered as he slammed into me three more times before he gripped my hips tightly and stilled, coming deep inside me.

He lay across my back again while we caught our breath, then with a gentle kiss between my shoulder blades he eased out of me and stood up. I heard his zipper and when I stood, he kneeled to pull up my pants. He placed his hands on my hips and kissed me, slow and gentle. When he backed away he said, "Thanks, Edward."

"Wait! How do you know my name?" I asked, stunned by the fact that he seemed to know me.

But he was already walking out the door. "Hey!"

I tried to chase after him, but my pants slid back down my legs and I nearly fell. With a curse I began searching the floor for my shirt and tie, and when I was presentable again I flung the door open and stormed out.

What was it with the guy and disappearing? How did he know my name? And when could we do that again? Because I'd just had the best fuck of my life.

I stepped back into the exhibit room, my eyes scanning for the beautiful blond painter, when I heard Alice's shrill, "There you are, Edward!"

I closed my eyes and bit my tongue in frustration, but turned to face her. "Hey, Ali." To her left was the blond glamazon I'd seen earlier.

"Where have you been, Edward?"

"Sorry, I just had to step outside for a minute for some fresh air."

"Oh. I thought maybe you tried to sneak out without me," she grinned. "I know you hate coming to these. Anyway, Edward, this is my friend Rosalie, but you can call her Rose. Rose, this is my brother, Edward."

I extended my hand and shook hers, polite as ever. "A pleasure to meet you, Rose."

"Likewise," she said with the hint of a familiar accent. She moved slightly to the side and there he stood, in all his blond-haired, blue-eyed glory, a shit-eating-grin on his face. "This is my brother Jasper," she said. "His work is on display here tonight, too. He's wonderful," she cooed, obviously proud of him.

"J . . . Jasper," I stuttered, extending my hand to him and squeezing a bit harder than necessary.

He grinned wider. "A pleasure to meet you, Edward. Alice has told me so much about you," he returned.

I continued to grip his hand. "Why don't you show me your work, Jasper," I said with a slight snarl.

"Certainly," he replied, pulling me toward him and placing his arm around my shoulders like we were long time friends. He looked over his shoulder at Alice and Rose. "I'm just going to show Edward here my display. I'll have him back to you in a few minutes, chères."

I felt a shudder of desire course through me at the sound of that endearment. We walked back over to the spot we first "met," and I turned to face him. "You mind telling me what's going on here, Jasper?" I didn't know if I should feel angry, hurt, used, or flattered . . . the entire thing was kind of surreal, and yet my body still leaned toward his, hungry for more.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't plan any of this, truly," he said as he brushed his hair off his forehead. "Alice talks about you so much, I almost feel like I know you, and when she met Rose and wanted to set you two up, I just assumed you were straight, and that was that. But after the eye-fucking you gave me earlier . . ." he took a breath. "Your family doesn't know you're gay, do they?"

I shook my head. "It's just me and Alice, and I haven't told her."

"It's not really my business, but why not? She's a pretty accepting person."

"I don't really know," I laughed. "I guess it's just not something you blurt out to your baby sister over your morning coffee." I shrugged. There really wasn't a good reason. It was just awkward and I was avoiding it.

"What about you?"

"Oh, my family knows about my 'proclivities,' as they call them. Only Rose gets it. Our parents seem to think I'll 'grow out of it' and settle down with a nice girl and give them lots of fat grand bébés."

I laughed at the image. He took a step toward me and ran his thumb along my mouth.

"You really are beautiful," he said. "Alice was right about that."

I blushed and tried to stammer a response.

"Hush now, chère. The only thing I want to know, is whether you want to get out of here with me right now?"

"Hell yes," I replied.

He smiled wide and beautiful, then grabbed me by the hand and dragged me back over to Alice and Rose.

"We're getting out of here," he said without preamble and began to pull me along.

Rose smirked at me, her eyes full of mirth, and I winked back.

"But . . . but . . . but Edward!" Alice sputtered, and chased after us. "What about Rose? You know I just want you to meet somebody nice."

I let go of Jasper's hand for a moment and hugged my sister tight before whispering in her ear, "I did sweetie. I did." I pulled back and placed my hand in Jasper's again, and watched as her eyes went wide with understanding. I laughed, and as Jasper and I walked away, I yelled over my shoulder, "Don't wait up!"


	3. rmhale

~Midnight Masquerade~

Happy Birthday to my very favorite lap panda who I love and adore more than you know...

* * *

EPOV

_Why couldn't I learn to say no?_

That was the question that kept flowing through my mind as I took in my surroundings. The ballroom was darkened, the only light coming from a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and candles on the tables. The domed ceiling was adorned with paneled glass that allowed the light from the moon to reflect into the room. Couples gathered on the dance floor, dressed in intricate attire and detailed masks. Men and women waltzed in tempo to the string quartet that was playing. The alcohol was flowing freely, making inhibitions move to the wayside and the dancing less innocent.

Tonight was the zoo's annual Midnight Masquerade Ball. My parents were major benefactors and on the team that made sure the wine and champagne were flowing in an effort to ensure that wallets and pocketbooks opened wide when it came time to pledge donations. The pandas, in desperate need of a new habitat, were this year's recipient of all funds raised tonight. My parents were required to attend and I joined them because I apparently couldn't say no.

I stood against the wall, watching everyone and sipping my drink. It really was amazing to see how free these patrons acted when their faces were hidden behind their masks. You could feel the adrenaline in the air, sizzling as it flowed from person to person, and I was anxious to feel it myself. The problem was, there wasn't a female out there who could hold my attention and there was a time and place for everything. This event was not the time to draw attention to myself or my parents by seeking out a male companion for the night. My fuck buddy, Seth, would definitely be getting a call later on.

Being a classical musician by trade, the notes playing seemed to touch every nerve in my body, caressing and forcing my eyes to close as my hips swayed gently. The room was dark, no one could see me in my corner and I let my body move to the rhythm of the sounds. My body craved the touch of another against it as I allowed myself to be overcome by the music. It was getting hot, so hot I could feel my imaginary lover behind me, his breath searing my neck.

"Are you here alone?" I heard a smooth, sexy voice ask, lips right against my ear.

A sharp gasp escaped my mouth as I turned my head to see the stranger. His hand against my face stopped me.

"No, not yet," he whispered against my neck.

"Answer me," he demanded, his hand gripping my hip firmly and pulling my body back against his.

"Oh, fuck," I rasped.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to fuck, love...I want to know if any man here has a claim on you," he growled into the darkness.

"No," I said, my voice wavering at the hands of this stranger. He was making me come undone and I hadn't even seen his face.

"Thank god for that," he said as he turned me quickly, pushed me against the wall and peered into my eyes through the black mask covering half of his face.

His eyes, oh god his eyes...bright blue with fiery passion brewing in the depths. His skin was smooth and tan along his jaw line and I wanted to lick it to see if it tasted as sweet as it looked. His perfect, full red lips parted and his tongue peeked out as it wet the bottom one. My skin was scorching where his hands held me in place. Neither one of us said a word, but our breathing became more and more erratic as the seconds ticked by.

Ever so slowly, he broke our gaze as his eyes fell shut and he leaned forward until his lips were nearly touching mine.

"Please," I whimpered.

He took a slight breath before closing the distance and placing his mouth on mine. My body was frozen in place as it was assailed with lust and need from all angles. Only once in my life had it ever felt like this when someone had kissed me. Never again did I think it would ever feel like that and bittersweet memories flooded my mind as I tried desperately not to think about _him_. It always hurt too much.

When I felt his silky, wet tongue against my lips, I immediately responded by pulling him to me and threading my fingers through his hair.

"Oh, fuck," he moaned into my mouth before sliding his tongue in and moving it furiously against mine. Our lips crashed together hard, almost bruising as we tried to get our mouths closer. I wanted to taste all of him, I needed to, it wasn't a choice anymore. We kissed over and over again in that dark corner and when it became too much, he finally pulled back and looked at me.

"Come with me, please," he said. His voice was trembling and laced with apprehension.

"Do you think I could say no?" I asked, giving in to this stranger in front of me. Even though I knew it wasn't right, I didn't even know his name, I had to follow him.

He leaned in for one more quick kiss before grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him.

"I have a room," he told me as we walked toward the elevators of the hotel.

In the light, I could see just how truly stunning the man was. His dark blonde locks were long and fell in waves around his face, still covered by the black mask. He was tall and lean and I couldn't wait to see what he looked like underneath his tux. The thought was making it more and more uncomfortable for me to walk. His presence was making it hard for me to breathe. I needed to touch him.

Our hands remained tightly clasped as we rode up to his room in silence. The elevator door opened and he walked out, pulling me behind him. I followed without question, instinctively trusting him with my body and possibly my heart. It had been so long since it had truly beat in excitement at the thought of another putting his hands on me. My sex life consisted of just that, sex for the sake of having it and nothing else. It was quick, used solely to satisfy my physical needs, with no awkwardness afterwards. Seth and I had an agreement.

The stranger stopped in front of a door, slid the card in the slot and turned to look at me.

"Now's the time to tell me if you don't want this, because when this door closes, you are mine," he said, his voice husky and raw.

My heart started to beat even faster and my pants were getting tighter.

Did I want to follow this man?

Fuck yes I did!

"I want this," I whispered.

"Fuck," he groaned before pulling me into the room. He closed the door and slammed me back while grinding his arousal into mine. His eyes were locked onto mine and my blood was boiling white hot.

"Take off your mask," I told him, reaching up to remove it. He grabbed my hand in his, pulling it away.

"Not yet," he whispered as his lips came crashing into mine. His kiss was powerful and erotic and I wanted to keep tasting him forever. He was intoxicating and I wanted to be surrounded by him always and that terrified me.

Pulling back from the kiss, I asked, "What's your name?"

He looked at my eyes, then down at my lips before he answered, "Hale."

"Hale," I whispered. "Perfect."

He reached up to the back of my head and untied my mask. My heart was palpitating with fear, hoping that once he saw me, he wouldn't run the other way.

My eyes dropped to my shoes, focusing on a speck of dust. His hand reached out and grasped my chin, pulling it up. He was breathing heavily, lips open and eyes hooded.

"Beautiful," he said as his hands reached up and wound through my hair. "Just like I...oh god..." Then his lips were on mine, tongue pushing into my mouth and we both moaned when our lips touched. His fingers were wreaking havoc in my hair while he held my face close to his, tasting and licking me over and over again. My hands went up once again to remove the mask. I needed to see his face.

"Stop," he whispered. "You want it off? Let me do something first."

I nodded at him and watched as he stepped back, pulling a long piece of red, silk fabric from his pocket. I swallowed hard as he walked around behind me. I saw him raise his arms in my peripheral vision before I felt him pulling the soft, cool fabric over my eyes, securing it in a knot at the back of my head.

"What?" I gasped.

"Shhhh," he whispered. "Take it off now, love. I want you to feel me."

Understanding dawned on me as I reached back and pulled him around to stand in front of me. My hands extended forward until I felt his chest. His heart was beating wildly underneath my fingers, a sure sign I wasn't the only one affected in this room. I pushed his jacket off of his shoulders and took a step closer to his warmth. The sound of it falling to the floor was music to my ears...I was one step closer to getting this man naked.

Laying my head on his shoulder, I inhaled the skin on his neck and my mind flashed back to a scent that was familiar. A _painful_ scent...summer, sun and ocean. Once again trying to forget, I placed my mouth on his throat and kissed him before laying my head against his chest. My hands went around the back and undid the cummerbund, slowly pulling it around his waist and dropping it at my feet.

"Oh...fuck," he moaned as my hands went up to his bow tie. I pulled it loose, then started undoing the buttons on the shirt one at a time. I could feel the exquisite heat of his skin radiating through his undershirt on the back of my fingers. It was so erotic, undressing this sensual stranger without being able to see, imagining what he looked like just from feeling him with my fingertips. His breath hit my face and although blindfolded, I still closed my eyes to savor the feeling.

I felt his breath, closer and closer and then his mouth was on my neck, biting gently before he kissed me. His tongue gently traced the line from my throat up to my ear and I groaned.

"Can I kiss you, love?" he whispered. "Really kiss you?"

Time stood still while he waited for me to answer.

_Really kiss me? What was that before? I wanted to know...he had to feel it too._

"Yes," I hissed, bracing myself for the kiss.

"God, baby," he said softly. "So beautiful..." His hands were in my hair, pulling my face towards his and I parted my lips.

"Edward," he whispered. "I want you to see me."

I froze..._how did he know my name? _His hands reached up to untie the knot at the back of my head and the fabric fell to the floor. He was standing in front of me, disheveled from my attempt to undress him, but face still covered. He brought his lower lip into his mouth and bit down gently with his teeth and my heart dropped. I _knew_ that look. There was no _way_!

He went to remove his mask, but I stopped him. I wanted to do it, I had to see for myself. The tears stung the corners of my eyes as I slowly removed the material from his face. It was still semi-dark in the room, but I would have recognized that face anywhere, even if it was ten years later. His lip was trembling as I reached my thumb out to caress it.

"Jasper," I gasped, closing my eyes and feeling the tear escape down my cheek.

"What...how...god..." There was no way to form a coherent sentence, a million thoughts were flying through my head.

_How was he standing in front of me?_

"Edward," he said, placing his hands on either side of my face. "Breathe my love. I'm here now and I am never leaving you again."

Looking into his eyes, I saw that familiar gaze that had haunted me for all these years. His love for me was shining back at me through his stormy blue eyes and it was too much, all of it, and my head fell onto his chest as the silent tears flowed down my cheeks. His strong arms circled around me and held on tight. It had been so long since I had felt his body against mine and the last ten years were immediately erased. Although I had many questions for him, I wanted nothing more than to make him mine forever.

"I asked you a question, Edward. Can I kiss you, for real?" he said against the skin of my neck.

Unable to answer, I nodded. He pulled back looked at me, reaching out to wipe the tears away from my face. His thumbs caressed the line of my jaw before he leaned forward and gently placed his lips on mine. He kissed me once, twice and then his tongue gently licked at my lips until they opened up for him and he let out a breath into my mouth. I knew why I remembered that taste,the feel, his smell...it was him all along.

Our tongues slid against one another, slowly and sensuously, reacquainting themselves with one another. My whole body was a live wire, exuding sexual energy through every pore. Years of burying these feelings were forgotten as he made me his once again. His hands were all over my body and everywhere he touched was searing. My body remembered his touch and responded like it did when we were sixteen, innocent, passionate and in love.

We kissed for what seemed like hours until it was no longer his taste and my taste, it was _our_ taste and that was my favorite flavor in the world.

"I missed you," he said against my lips. "More than you will know and I need you, to touch you and taste you. Can I please?"

He pushed his hips into mine when he said that, letting me feel how much he wanted me. Running my hand down his side, I brought it around to the front and ghosted over his hardness before undoing the button and zipper.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Jasper Hale Whitlock, I have waited forever for you too."

Dropping to the ground in front of him, I removed his shoes and socks before standing up again. His eyes were on me the entire time, watching me as I undressed him. I took his shirt and undershirt off and stood there, admiring his golden skin and tight muscles. The skinny body of our youth was gone and replaced by a long, lean and fit frame. He was magnificent. I watched a trail of goose bumps follow the finger I traced along his torso, ending at his waistline. My hand wanted to move underneath his open zipper, but I stopped myself, not quite ready to breach that barrier yet.

Jasper took my hand away from his pants and lifted it to his mouth, kissing it.

"It took me a long time to make it back to you, baby...but now that I'm here, I am never letting go. Is that okay?" he asked. His eyes were pleading with me to say yes, that I would be his forever. I still remember saying goodbye to him and the promise we made to each other.

_"Edward, I know it seems awful right now, but I will come back and find you. No matter how long it takes me, nothing will keep us apart."_

_He held me tight as the tears ran down my face and sobs wracked my body. His family was being transferred to Japan for his dad's job and I was devastated. We had only said I love you to one another three months ago. It took us a long time to say that and now he was being ripped away from me. _

_"Why?" I asked. "Please don't go."_

_"I have to, Edward. I don't have a choice," he cried into my hair. "Do you think I would leave you if I could help it? I will come back for you Edward, I will. Please...remember that. No matter how long it takes me to get back here, I will find you and when I do, I won't let you go."_

_We clung to one another for hours that night, crying and kissing and touching, not wanting to part. When it was getting close to dusk, I knew what I wanted from him and I needed it before he left me forever._

_"Make love to me, Jasper," I whispered against his sweaty neck. He shuddered in my arms, taking a deep breath. _

_"No, baby, no," he said. "When I make love to you, I want it to be when we are going to be together forever, not because I am leaving. I will come back baby, I will, and when I do, I will make love to you for the rest of your life." _

_Crying harder, I held him close to me and we fell asleep like that, exhausted from all the emotions and despair eating us alive._

After a few years of not hearing from him, I finally gave up and moved on, but never loving anyone else. I just went from man to man, fucking out my frustration until I met Seth and we came to a mutual agreement. We didn't want a relationship or a disease, so we slept with each other when we felt the need and were friends all the rest of the time. Jasper was never far from my thoughts and the fact that he was there with me in the hotel was surreal to me, but I never forgot my promise and I still meant it.

Looking into his bright, blue eyes I said, "Yes, it's okay. Please, Jasper, don't ever let me go again. I was so lost without you." My lip was quivering, trying to contain my tears and my mind was still in a state of disbelief.

He pulled me into his arms and groaned my name before he kissed me with ten years worth of built-up passion. It took my breath away and in no time at all he had removed every bit of clothing I was wearing until I was standing in front of him, naked and hard.  
_  
_

"Oh fuck, Edward," he hissed. "You are so goddamn perfect and I want to lick and bite and suck every inch of your body."

My erection strained even harder, and Jasper's eyes took notice as it twitched in the dim light the moon was streaming into the room. As teenagers we had never gone further than making out and fumbling hand jobs and this was brand new territory for us together. I had given and received many blow jobs over the years, but I felt like I had never done it before as I saw him looking at me and licking his lips.

He brought his eyes back up to mine, and whispered, "I need you."

Jasper slowly pushed his pants and boxers down his hips and let them fall to the floor until every inch of his glorious, honey-hued skin was on display for me. His body was beautiful and trim. I wanted to feel him against me, to wrap my body in the warmth of his but my baby had other plans.

Jasper walked up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders, walking me back until I was against the wall. The coolness made me flinch slightly, but that problem disappeared quickly as Jasper dropped to his knees in front of me and grabbed onto my hips. He pulled my hips ever so slightly, bringing my pelvis closer to his face and I felt him run his nose on the underside of my cock.

"Oh, fuck, Jasper," I moaned into the darkened room. His tongue slowly traced the same path his nose took and I was dying. It was mind-blowing and felt so fucking good. It took all my self-control not to grab his head and slam myself into his mouth. There was no stopping the loud cry that escaped my mouth when he wrapped his lips all the way around me and moved his head down to the base. When he looked up with all of me in his mouth and I was gone. My fingers grasped his hair and I pulled him back once before bringing him right back down over and over again.

Jasper held onto me tightly, moaning and humming around me as he sped up his motions. I loved him so fucking much and it had been so long since I had felt his touch that in no time I was screaming his name and emptying myself into his hot, wet mouth. It was the best fucking feeling in the world, especially knowing that he felt the same, he _had _to. When I was finally spent, Jasper pulled his mouth away and ran his hands up and down my legs before placing a kiss on each hip bone and standing up in front of me.

He took my face in his hands and kissed me gently on the lips.

"I can't wait to tell you anymore, Edward. You need to know," he told me, never taking his eyes off of me.

"I love you, I always have, I never stopped." His voice broke on the last word, his eyes shiny and bright with emotion.

For the first time in ten years, my heart was full. It was going to burst forth with love for this man who I loved as a boy and was now a man. I had never stopped loving him, just pushed all the feelings to the back of my mind. All the random fucks were nothing to me. Never once in my life since Jasper left did I feel anything close to what I had felt for him in that room. He reawakened all the feelings and I was ready to tell him too.

"Jasper, I tried. I really tried to get over you, tried to move on, but I couldn't. I used faceless man after faceless man to try and get you out of my head. I didn't think you were ever coming back and it killed me. It never worked, you were always there. No one was ever good enough, no one ever felt the same, no one made me really feel. It has always only been you."

I took his hand in mine and kissed it before telling him, "I love you Jasper Whitlock. I always have and I always will."

Closing the distance between our bodies, I softly moaned at the feel of his naked skin against mine.

"Forever and always, I will never let you go again," I said, enfolding him in my arms and kissing him passionately. Never again would I be without the taste of him, I would need it for the rest of my life.

Jasper held me tight, skin against skin, mouth against mouth but most importantly, heart against heart beating for one another in a cadence that would forever be our own. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked us over to the bed and laid me on the covers, then he climbed in next to me. Never once had I ever fallen asleep next to another person and I couldn't wait to spend the night in his arms. Tomorrow we would have to talk and all questions would be answered but tonight? Tonight was ours. It was a night to remember the love we shared and to be excited for what was to come.

"I love you, Jasper." I whispered against his skin, tasting the salty dampness on my lips.

"I love you too, Edward...thank god I found you, I was so lost without you too...so lost," he said, kissing me.

"Never again, love," I said. "Never again, you are mine...forever."

We fell asleep in each other's arms, limbs intertwined and wrapped up in our love, never to be parted again.

* * *

Thank you to OnTheTurningAway for fixing this up and making it better for my Zigs...

http://img697(DOT)imageshack(DOT)us/img697/5305/98337943(DOTjpg --Gorgeous banner made by the fuckawesome Meads!


	4. Mairemor

**Celtic Karma in Lisdoonvarna**

.

Happy birthday to you mo stóreen. Translations: In Dublin slang, a _mickey dodger_ is a nun. Amhráns are songs, bodhráns are Irish goatskin drums, and amadáns are eejits. Eamon is Edward and Cullen, hehheh, is truly an Irish name from Co. Kildare. Hope you get a chance to go to Lisdoonvarna Co. Clare (maybe we'll get a bunch of the girls together and go)—the craic is mighty! I stuck in Eamon O'Cullen for shits and giggles….Sorry Bella, Amelia's got him now. Oh, yeah, a hooley is a party and craic means fun. Tá grá agam duit! :-D

* * *

**Lá breithe sona dhuit mo chroi  
Lá breithe sona dhuit mo chroi  
Lá breithe sona a Zigster  
Lá breithe sona dhuit mo chroi!**

_**(That's the Happy Birthday Song in Irish)**_

**Mighty craic. Loads of frolics,  
Pioneers and alcoholics,  
Hairy chests and milk-white thighs,  
And mickey dodgers in disguise.  
There's amhráns, bodhráns, amadáns,  
Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks,  
This is heaven, this is hell. Who cares? Who can tell?  
Oh, Lisdoonvarna  
Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!**

I'd _way_ stopped crying and my past was behind me on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Very early, on a cool drizzly Irish morning, I stepped out of the terminal at Shannon Airport in county Clare feeling like I was taking my first baby steps as a single woman. I'd taken the ring from my finger before I left New York, but my finger still felt naked without it. Still, I was with my BFF Amelia, free as a bird, and a long way from Bill and New York City. Amelia slewed her eyes at me, guessing my thoughts, the way she always did and muttered, "Fuck him and fuck Lorena."

But the wounds still hurt, though now I was more angry than sad. He'd cheated on me and then married the bitch he'd cheated with. Pride fucks with your head in some nasty ways. I was proud. Too proud to have admitted the truth even when my friends tried to tell me. You know what they say about pride. The fall was long and very hard.

Still, my divorce was finalized. I was free and it was time to recover from the Big Hurt. Amelia arranged our trip as a "liberation vacation," saw to all of the details, and handed me my ticket when we went out to celebrate my new status as a single girl. Amelia had her heart set on a trip to the Emerald Isle because she gushed, "I love Irish guys! Those accents! Besides, I want to combine my DNA with a hot-blooded Celtic bad boy who looks like Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Cillian Murphy, or Colin Farrell." Ihad no plans to combine my DNA with anyone's no matter how dark and Irish they might be. But my great-grandfather, Niall Brigant, was born and raised in Clare in the west of Ireland and I'd always wanted to visit.

We drove away from Shannon airport in a fine Irish mist and headed north-west past neat white houses, grey stone walls, green fields, cows, sheep, a ruined abbey, and the restless blue-green sweep of the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the Cliffs of Moher. The Emerald Isle indeed. _Then_, the countryside changed into a lunarscape of pockmarked limestone pavements crisscrossed by huge cracks, bursting with gentians, wild orchids and bloody cranesbill. We were in the Burren, the heart of the county Clare. As we did the tourist thing and maneuvered across four foot deep cracks in the limestone toward a Neolithic portal tomb, I could totally believe that unusual and magical occurrences, romantic and otherwise, happened here on a daily basis.

We pulled into a bright, modern B & B called Burren Breeze a mile outside of our first destination—the town of Lisdoonvarna. When I stepped out of our en suite shower, Amelia was grinning and fluttering around our room like a pheromone-crazed female moth. This, it turned out, wasn't far from the truth. We emerged fresh and clean and made our way to the parlor where the B & B's owner had Lyons tea; cheese, tomato and cucumber sandwiches, and the most delicious scones I had ever inhaled.

I was in the process of inhaling and nearly choked on a raisin when our hostess enquired with a twinkle in her voice, "So, ladies you're here for the Matchmaking Festival. There's quite a crowd this year."

She swept a practiced eye over us and winked. "But you two will do brilliantly. The lads are eager and burning embers are easily kindled."

She cocked her head at Amanda conspiratorially and I had a sneaking suspicion that Mrs. O'Hallorin and Amanda were in cahoots. "You've set up your appointment?"

Amelia grinned sheepishly and my hackles rose. "Ah…yes…right after lunch at The Matchmaker's Pub."

Correctly discerning my need for alcoholic reinforcement, Mrs. O'Hallorin laced my tea with whiskey as she explained that one of Ireland's oldest traditions is matchmaking. And that it's done openly for five weeks in Lisdoonvarna. And that time was now.

" Ah sure, we're just a spot on the map, but when the festival gets under way, hoards of singles hunting for mates, or just wanting to mate, swell the town's population to the thousands." She glanced at her clock. "You'd best get going…you'll have trouble finding a parking space with the crowds."

The Mini Cooper's air was definitely charged as we drove the winding mile into town. My eyes bored into the side of Amelia's head as she whistled tunelessly and stared straight ahead.

"You're whistling in your very own graveyard chica," I hissed, " 'Cause I'm gonna kill you…"

Amelia smirked. "No …you won't. Not when you consider the…possibilities available to us… especially when you see who Mr. Daly's got lined up for you."

I groaned. "Jesus Amelia...I've barely climbed out of the pit …why the HELL would you think I'd want to jump back in?"

Amelia waved her hand in dismissal. "I know you girlfriend. Haven't I always called it right when it comes to your men? Didn't I tell you Bill wasn't right and that that Alcide guy was too mind-fucked and whipped…even when I knew you'd get pissed off at me? C'mon Sook…I love you sister! I'm doing this for you because I know in my bones you need this."

I knew that Amelia really _did_ love me and was out for my best interest no matter what my opinion might be, so I stopped glaring, leaned over, and kissed her cheek even though butterflies were swarming in my stomach.

"OK. OK. I'll do this because you've very obviously gone to great lengths and schemed to get me here…and because I love you every bit as much as you love me."

Amelia just smiled serenely, reached over and patted my hand. "You won't regret it…"

"And if I do?"

Her mouth quirked, "Well, there are a lot of cliffs around here…I guess you could claim I was clumsy. Or…if it's a truly hideous experience, you pick me a guy just as bad as the one you wind up with and I'll have to hook up with him."

The town was swarming. Punks, Goths, bikers, conservatives, geeks, and mad looking Americans in cable-knit Aran sweaters, tweed caps, and Kelly green slacks that screamed, "I'm not awesome! I'm not Irish! But I'm available and very, _very_ desperate!"

The horror. The horror.

Amelia wasn't leaving anything to chance. She had lined up a pro.

Willie Daly, our personal matchmaker, was holding court in a small front room at The Matchmaker's Pub at a table with a hundred-year-old, family-owned matchmaker's ledger. He stood, shook our hands, and pulled out our chairs like a gentleman, before getting down to business. My conspiracy theory gained a ton weight when he turned his attentions to me and was amazingly sympathetic and solicitous about my "troubles". What the _hell _had Amelia told him?

He opened his ledger and pointed to recent happy endings that began in Lisdoonvarna. Then he turned further back to pages curled from age. The ledger was stuffed with poems, photos and recent love-seeker applications. His accent was easy, slow, with a musical lilt.

"Sure an' there's nothing to worry about miss. My arrangements are all above board. Women sign up for free; men pay around twenty Euros. Take them or leave them as you please. At the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival, it's the chemistry of a face-to-face introduction that can turn wishful thinking into a possible mate." His eyes flashed with humor. "Add in non-stop dancing, music, flirting, flowing pints, and racing hormones, and it's no wonder the festival's lasted for one hundred and fifty years. Your friend here has already corresponded with a prospective suitor, but most of my matches are made after the Festival. Ah…the musicians are warming up. Your lad should be here shortly. "

Amelia excused herself and made her way over to the session group where a short but gorgeous brunette flashed an adorable crooked smile and actually kissed Amelia's hand before she pulled him into a lip lock. I glared at Amelia. Et tu Brute. Ha! Conspiracy confirmed.

So there I sat, like a wilting wallflower, Willie Daly at my side, as the place packed and turned tribal. Bodhráns beat rhythmically driving the beat of jigs, reels, hornpipes, and stamping feet. Lust was in the air. Quite against my will and better judgment, I was in the market again. But what was I looking for--a prince, an angel, or just a good time? I was inclined to skepticism, and like our immortal Dubya said, "Fool me one shame on me; fool me twice…can't get fooled again."

OK. I decided, I was here with Amelia for the craic—nothing real, nothing intense. End of story.

There was a break in the music while the musicians refilled, and Amelia immediately dragged her Mr. O'Right over to meet me. The brazen hussy didn't look the least bit perturbed that I had figured things out. The musician, to give him credit, did seem a bit shy and sheepish in a sweet sort of way. Plus, he smiled his crooked smile and shook my hand with just the right amount of pressure as Amelia babbled.

"Sookie, this is Eamon O'Cullen. We've been um…corresponding. Willy set it up and …"

She smiled and her whole face lit up. "I feel like it's Christmas!"

As the Irish saying goes Amelia and Eamon were chalk and cheese from the get go, but they made it clear that opposites do attract. Eamon wasn't my type. He was almost too beautiful—but he did have the voice of an angel.

Amelia had her angle, but where was mine? It didn't take much looking around at this crowd of washed out patrons, eager women, and horny males both local and foreign to conclude that, besides Eamon O'Cullen, there were no members of the angel host anywhere within an ass's bray of the Matchmaker's Pub.

Until—holy Mary Mother of …incoming at six o'clock—of the Fallen variety, but an angel nonetheless. Everything was moving in slow motion except my heart—goose bumps—I felt hot, then cold –the room whirled. Shit! I was holding my breath.

_Breathe Stackhouse. Breathe!_

What was approaching me was six and a half feet of lithe grace and power—his mane of blond hair pulled into a pony tail --blue jeans, black T-shirt, black leather jacket and intense blue eyes the color of the restless waters off the cliff of Moher on a sunny day. And his face—God help me— high broad cheekbones, wide sensuous mouth--incredibly male—with a shadow of plush stubble across his chiseled jaw. And, Jaysus, he was gripping a guitar case and a bodhrán. I'm a sucker for musicians. Bill played the piano really well. If my angel could play, I was royally fucked.

His eyes locked on mine and I was caught. Deer in the headlights caught; in the path of a tsunami caught.

_Be nice angel_. I prayed. _On second thought…storm the keep. Sack and pillage. _

The bulge in his pants was heavenly. My eyes dropped to his fly and the zipper's tab. Mmmm. The beautiful bastard saw me do it and grinned a pussy-eating grin.

Eamon O'Cullen called out—"Jaysus it's Northman. Get up of your asses as fill up the glasses. The craic will be mighty now."

Breath in. Out. Yes. Another.

He was joking with Eamon O'Cullen and the other musicians, but his eyes kept coming back to me and mine were riveted upon him. I tried to tear my eyes off of him. Impossible. I was like a frozen hard drive whose lust program wasn't responding to my frantic attempts to reboot.

His eyes took me in head to toe with particular attention to my boobs. Willy grinned.

"That's yer man alright! Take a good look. Will I give him the nod then? The lads are slagging him something fierce."

I licked my lips. He noticed that too.

"Um…sure."

Nod? Hell yes! Give "yer man" a standing ovation just for taking up space and breathing. He threw back his head and laughed. A genuine laugh--rich and full bodied.

"Ah...leave off for a minute will ye!"

Fuck! His accent. A Viking god with an Irish accent. Assuming his peen was proportional, what more could a girl who was out for a good time want than this vision of dropdeadfuckinggorgeouness?

My fallen angel, my dangerous, addicting, temptation bent and carefully placed his case beneath an unused table displaying his high, tight ass right through the jeans. As he straightened and turned toward me, an American chick, with a Kelly green T-shirt that said "Hooley in My Pants" bumped into him, then nearly melted at his feet. He murmured something in a lovely Irish accent, but looked straight at me and smiled. Dazzling. Every nerve in my body went wild, sparking like a fuse about to explode.

Those eyes. That heartbreaking smile. The way he rubbed his thigh slowly up and down, up and down.

Every move he made said, _Sex. Hot. Sizzling. Over every inch of you. Sex like you've never had it before and never will again._

And in the middle of that pub in a small town sitting smack dab next to a sixty year old matchmaker, I was away with the birds—lost. Fucked! When he came over and started to chat me up…I was putty—very happy putty—in his hands.

888888

_Fictus Interruptus…bb… but you gotta leave room for the rest of the feast_

**May love and laughter light your days,  
and warm your heart and home.  
May good and faithful friends be yours,  
wherever you may roam.  
May peace and plenty bless your world  
with joy that long endures.  
And may each day that passes  
bring the best to you and yours!**


	5. SorceressCirce

_**A/N:**__ Happy birthday, __**Zigster**__! I know you're a fellow slash lover ;) so I thought you might enjoy a little Jasper point of view from my one-shot with __**naelany**__ called "Tell Me What You See." I hope you like it and have a fantastic day! *mwah*_

Special thanks to _**naelany**__ for providing the prompts and POV and to __**ahizelm**__, __**kimberlycullen10**__, and __**naelany**__ for beta'ing!_

----------  
**Shine**

My fist is poised to knock again when the door opens. My other hand grips the doorframe as I stare down at my feet. I raise my head when I see the toes of his shoes.

I can see genuine surprise in his eyes, but the usually vibrant green is dull, lifeless… guarded. I swallow when I see how he is shutting me out. I need those eyes to shine again.

_What did I do…?_

Astonished, he asks what I'm doing here.

_Don't you know?_

"Well, it seems like I got stood up tonight by this guy I really like..."

**Focus**

As he talks – babbles, really – I realize something: he thinks he isn't good enough for me. He honestly believes it.

_Insanity._

It takes everything in me not to interrupt, tell him he's crazy… tell him I love him. But now that he's finally talking, I am fascinated. He has never let me in like this before, never made himself so vulnerable.

I want to hold him… kiss him… take him to his bedroom and show him exactly how he makes me feel.

But I don't.

I focus on him, listening to every word and praying I can make it right.

**Mirror**

We stand in the doorway of his closet, and the mirror reflects his disbelief back at me. He is humoring me, going along with this only because I've asked him to.

I'm determined to make him see.

My cheeks heat when he calls me sexy. He doesn't see that he is more beautiful than I am by far. I set myself the task of showing him.

Our fingers intertwined, we trace the definition in his abdomen, the curves of his biceps. I kiss his neck and trail my fingers up his muscular thighs. He shivers.

The mirror reveals my truth.

**Relish**

My heart is light, free after telling him at long last that I love him. I trace the thick veins of his stiff cock with the tip of my tongue, showing him now just how much I adore him.

I drink up every moan, swallow every whimper and catch of his breath, hoarding them greedily in my chest, which swells with pride and humility at once.

I feel the weight of his gaze as he breathlessly murmurs, "Unbelievable…"

I feel the same awe that he does as the certainty that he loves me makes every nerve in my body sing.

**Final**

I can't explain to Edward why I waited for this… or why now is the perfect time. He doesn't ask. He simply whispers, "I love you," as his hips part my thighs and his tip presses against my entrance.

My eyes close, and I bite my bottom lip at the delicious sting as he stretches me, filling me and making me whole. My fingertips dig into his shoulders as he stills, his body deep within mine.

My hips writhe on the mattress as I silently beg, and he acquiesces, his weight settling on me as we chase after ecstasy.

Together.


	6. naelany

**A/N:** It's _**Zigster**_'s birthday! I thought you might like to hear about the Wetboys some. The POV and prompts were given by _**Mynameisserendipity**_. Thanks to _**SorceressCirce**_ for beta'ing.

I hope you enjoy Bella's take on things.

As ever, I do not own Twilight. I just enjoy playing in the sandbox.  
**

* * *

**

**Sail**

Alec has finally left - gone to who cares where.

I watch my best friend closely, hoping that he will bounce back to the way he used to be, but it is as if Alec's venomous words have taken the wind out of his sails.

It's been weeks, and he continues to hold a part of himself back. He claims to be fine. I can see the change in him, though, and it makes me ache for him.

I pray that, with time, he will open up again and his heart will heal.

He deserves to be happy, to be loved.

**Luggage**

"Jesus, Edward...you're worse than a girl when you travel!"

I watch in amazement as he runs his fingers through his hair, his eyes on the suitcase, carry-on, and another bag with God knows what in it.

He looks at me with annoyance and huffs. "Not my fault. A lot of this shit's business-related and then the conference for the club-"

I hold up my hands in surrender, shaking my head as I help him carry his luggage to my car.

As we drive to the airport, I ask him who's going to teach his classes.

"Don't know," he says.

**Collide**

As Edward tells me about Jasper - the mysterious Jazz from camp - I marvel at how his past and present now collide. I hold him, letting him talk everything out before I share my thoughts. I can hear the confusion, the want, in his voice as he speaks. I know he had never been able to really let go.

I pull back, looking at him. His eyes are full of emotion; fear, hope, pain, rejection, yearning - I see them all.

I sigh softly and wonder if maybe Jasper is the key.

"You know what you have to do; don't you, Edward?"

**Bubbly**

As I sit on the chair-and-a-half, I carefully balance my plate of lasagna on my knees.

Felix holds out a glass to me, grinning. "Here, Bells. Some bubbly for the birthday girl."

I blush, take the offered drink, and sip it slowly. "Thanks..."

He leans down and gives me a quick peck, right on the corner of my lips. I can feel the heat on my face increase as I glace around. No one seems to have noticed, everyone busily talking or eating.

His eyes are mischievous, and I narrow mine as I whisper, "You watch it, mister."

He grins.

**Whiten**

The first thing I see as we run into the alley is Jasper being held and beaten by five guys.

_What the fuck? __Goddamn cowards!__F__ive against one...__  
__  
_I turn to Edward as he exclaims, "Shit! Jasper!"

I see his face whiten at the sight before us, and for a moment, I wonder if he might faint; he looks so pale.

Emmett and Felix are already running to help Jasper. I join them once I'm sure Edward is alright.

It's over before it's really begun, and we're left licking our wounds.

"Motherfuck!"

I hold my hand to my chest, wincing.


	7. gypsysue

**Happy Birthday Zigster. Hope you enjoy some E/J Slash with a lot of Bowie lol. No sex though lol. Big thanks to my girl, you know who you are, for the heads up on zigs fav things :D love ya**

**Disclaimer: Ms Meyers owns Twilight and all its characters and Bowie owns the rest. **

**Thanks to Beate for running through this for me, even though she is busy as hell right now. Love ya.**

**Okay on with it....again Happy Birthday Zigs. Love ya babes you truly are adorable :D

* * *

**

**DAVID BOWIE LIVE IN CONCERT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS.**

The headlines read, and I devoured all the information I could, before Jasper came down the stairs. He was a massive Bowie fan. His room on the second floor dedicated to all things David, was a dead give away. He treated that room with almost as much reverence as he treated me, and that was saying something.

Jasper and I met in our last year of college – it still amazes me to this day it took us so long to come across each other – and after our first date, we never parted ways, until eventually moving in together two years later.

I knew back then about his Bowie obsession, but it didn't become apparent just how obsessed he was until we moved in together. We bought a four bedroom place, and Jasper had earmarked one of the rooms for his special place. It wasn't until it was complete that he let me take a look. I chuckled when I saw it.

David Bowie was staring at me from every surface. There were posters, t-shirts, concert memorabilia, movie posters, DVD's, CD's, records; you name it, he had it. He even had a Bowie Pez dispenser. When I asked him how the hell he had managed to get that, since I had no idea they made them, he laughed.

"Edward, I had it made," he told me and shrug his shoulders like it was the most normal thing in the world. That was the day I knew he was insane, and I fell even more in love with him.

It was also why I was scrambling to hide the paper when I heard his feet on the stairs, I was going to try my best to surprise him with tickets. It would be really hard to do considering Jasper had a nose to sniff out all things Bowie, but come hell or high water, I was going to do just that.

The concert was schedule for April 30th so I had exactly one month to try to keep it all under wraps and get under way with my 'surprise Jasper with Bowie' mission. I quickly ripped out the offending page and folded it quickly and tucking it into my back pocket.

It was at that point I realized that unless I took Jasper away to some remote Island, it was going to be almost impossible to keep this from him. The ads for this event would be everywhere, billboards newspapers, internet sites, there was no way I could keep it from him.

Time for plan B. Organize a special evening just for us scheduled for the 30th before he got wind of the concert. He would mope around, once he found out, but he would never turn his back on arrangements made by me if he thought they were important.

"Hey Jasper?" I asked as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Yeah darlin'?" he replied kissing me on the cheek before making his way to the coffee. Number three on his list of priorities.

"I was wondering if on the 30th you would come away with me for the weekend. It's a Friday so I figured we could go away for the weekend, just the two of us. Since we have been so busy with work lately, I feel like we need to reconnect. I miss you Jasper." Yeah I was laying it on thick, but it was the only thing that would work.

"Aww, baby, of course. You know that, I'm sorry if you have been feeling neglected, I will put the date in my diary right now." He pulled me from the chair I was sitting in and kissed me passionately before running up the stairs to add the date in his book, throwing an "I love you" over his shoulder.

It was two days later, Jasper rushed into the house after work, looking like an excited puppy, that I knew he found out about the concert.

"Edward, Edward," he screamed jumping up and down, while hanging on to my shoulders.

"What is it Jasper?" Smiling the whole time, caught up in his enthusiasm.

"There is a Bowie concert this month. A one off, never to be repeated, Bowie concert. We have to go," he shouted

"Of course baby. When is it?" I asked all innocent like.

"30th of April. I have to go book tickets now before it sells out." He started to run for the stairs but I stopped him dead in his tracks, Bowie tickets burning a hole in my pocket.

"But love, that's the date of our reconnection weekend away together." I pouted for effect and Jasper's face dropped. A look of pure anguish washed over his feature, which almost caused me to break down and tell him the truth then and there. He schooled his expression quickly, noticing the look on my face.

"Shit, I forgot. That's why I write things down. Of course, you are more important than a Bowie concert." His features twisted slightly and his voice was rough. He was trying so hard not to let his disappointment show and my heart pounded painfully in my chest as his love and devotion to me.

"I love you," I said before pulling him into a hug and holding him tight, burying my face in his neck to stop from seeing the look on his face. It was too much and if I looked at it anymore I would crack.

For the next month Jasper, as I suspected, sulked but never outwardly when I was around. I knew him well enough to know he was trying his best to keep it from me, especially when a few of his friends called asking him if he was going to the concert.

I had it all sorted out though, we were staying at the hotel across the road from where the concert was being held, much to Jasper's delight, thinking he might be able to hear some of the music from our room if we left the balcony doors open. But he was also put out by the fact he would be so close, yet so far away.

When the 30th rolled around, I had our bags packed and by the door, when Jasper walked in from work. He hugged me tightly and told me how much he was looking forward to spending time with just us, causing a large smile to form on my face.

It was four by the time we pulled up to the hotel, the concert started at seven, so we had plenty of time to get ready before making our way across the road.

We checked in and got to the room, where I proceeded to tell Jasper to hit the showers, since we were going out for dinner. I then laid out jeans and Bowie t-shirts for both of us and placed the tickets on top of his outfit. Then sat back and waited patiently for him to come out of the bathroom.

He walked out ten minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair dripping slightly, leaving droplets of water running down his neck and chest. I groaned and made my way over to him, unable to help myself and licked at one of the drips from his chest to his neck, earning a moan from him.

I slapped him on the bottom and told him to get dressed, pretending to make my way in to shower. I stood in the doorway watching his profile as he leaned over to pick up his jeans and saw the tickets. Picking them up he looked from them towards the bathroom door, noticing me standing there, and then back and the tickets. He shrieked and ran at me full boar, almost knocking me to the ground and proceeded to kissing the life out of me.

"I can't believe you did this. I should be so mad at you for keeping this from me but I'm so damn excited I can hardly stand. WE ARE GOING TO BOWIE." He screamed the last bit in my ear causing me to shudder from the noise.

"Well if that didn't make me deaf I'm sure the concert with fix that," I said laughing at his antics. He was jumping around the room singing Ziggy Stardust at the top of his lungs.

_Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly_ _The spiders from Mars. He played it left hand _ _But made it too far_ _Became the special man, then we were Ziggy's band_ _Ziggy really sang, screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo_ _Like some cat from Japan, he could lick 'em by smiling_ _He could leave 'em to hang_ _Came on so loaded man, well hung and snow white tan._ _So where were the spiders while the fly tried to break our balls_ _Just the beer light to guide us,_ _So we bitched about his fans and should we crush his sweet hands?_

His towel dropped while he was doing his Ziggy dance and I almost choked at the sight of him. My pants tightened and I had to escape as quickly as possible.

"Okay Ziggy, get dressed, and for God sake cover yourself up, otherwise we won't make it to the concert," I said as I quickly turned and walked into the shower.

Naked Jasper was not a good thing for me in my current state. While I was in the shower Jasper ordered room service, stating that it would be quicker, he wanted to get to the concert sooner rather than later so he could scout out any memorabilia he didn't already have, plus secure himself one of the new t-shirt that was bound to be there. I chuckled at that as I was getting dressed. By six we were ready to go, and Jasper all but dragged me out the door, whistling our favorite Bowie song softly. I hoped that he played it tonight, it was the song playing on Jasper's stereo the first time we kissed. It was a strange song to have playing to make out to, but we loved it and it became very special to us. Jasper spent ages rummaging through all the stuff they had to offer, smirking ever so often at a new find. I was astounded, I didn't think there was anything of Bowie's he didn't own already.

Finally the doors open and after pulling out the second surprise I had for Jasper, backstage passes, we where told to move to a different entrance that would take us to where we needed to be. By this point Jasper was hyperventilating.

"B-b-back-S-tage pa-ss-ss-es," he stuttered out, almost choking on the words.

I just pulled him close to me and nodded, dragging him to where we had to go. It's funny how fate can work out. I was a doctor, and three weeks before the concert I was on shift, in the busy ER. The place was packed from a six car pile up on the freeway, and we were all exhausted. I treated a man, who had a slight concussion and lacerations to his torso, legs and arms, plus one along his forehead. I got him fixed up as quick as I could, taking care to make sure his stitches would leave only the minimal of scaring, as I did with every patient who came my way. And then pasted him off to be sent up for a head CT. I thought nothing of it till four days later when he came back in, to thank me for everything I had done for him. I told him it was all in a days work and he had nothing to thank me for. Turned out he was David Bowie's son Duncan. Had I not been so tired that day I probably would have recognized him from a picture Jasper had of them two on his wall at a film premier.

After a discussion about my boyfriends obsession with Bowie, he came back in two days later with tickets, backstage passes and a promise to meet us backstage and introduce the Doc who saved his life to his dad. I had to laugh, he was in no way near on his death bed. Showing the man our passes and giving our names, he smiled and told us to wait one minute. Five minutes later Duncan came to the door and pulled me into a hug. Jasper stood there mouth agape watching our exchange.

"Duncan, this is my boyfriend Jasper, the one I was telling you about." Duncan turned to Jasper and much to his surprise hugged him too.

"I've heard so much about you, I take it you have heard nothing about me though, considering Edward here wanted to keep all this as a surprise."

He chuckled as Jasper made some sort of whimpering noise, which only grew more pronounced when he added, "how about we go meet my dad."

I had to literal pull Jasper from his spot, to make our way down the corridor to what was David Bowie's dressing room. It seems Jasper took that time to compose himself, though he was still shaking slightly and had a death grip on my hand. We met David, as he told us to call him and it only took Jasper twenty minutes to actually get comfortable and find his voice. I had explained to Duncan that Jasper was probably going to be a babbling mess, and he told me he would warn his dad, but I shouldn't worry cause he was use to it by now.

"So Jasper," David, addressed him personally for the first time, noticing like everyone else that Jasper had managed to get himself under control.

By that I mean he had stopped starring intently at the hand David had shaken and was now focused on his surroundings, "do you have any requests for tonight?" he asked.

Jasper managed to regain the use of his vocal cords enough to get out "Let's Dance."

"I wasn't planning on doing that one tonight but I will add it to the list just for you. How's that?" J

asper's knee's went slightly weak and I had to hold him up, causing David, Duncan and I to chuckle. He finally managed to nod his head. David also autographed some stuff for Jasper as well as the t-shirt he was wearing and gave him one of his Ziggy Stardust costume's which sent Jasper into a spout of 'thank you's' and 'I will treasure it always'. To say this was turning out to be one of the best nights of his life was an understatement and I was so glad I could make this happen. We said our goodbyes and Duncan told us to leave our stuff here and we could come back after the concert to pick it up so we didn't have to carry it around. Jasper looked uncertain, you could tell it was hard for him to leave his newly required possessions behind but he shook it off and we made our way to the side of the stage. The concert was magical, and from this perspective we could see everything. Jasper and I danced and sung and had a wonderful time, until the last song was about to be played.

"I would like to dedicate this song to two wonderful men, Edward and Jasper," he said turning to wink at us and wave us on stage. "Come on out here boys and say hi to the crowd."

Laughing at the look on Jasper's face, I grabbed his hand and lead him out to where David was standing. He slung his arm around me and pulled Jasper to the other side of him, where he did the same thing.

"This is Edward," he said turning to me, before adding, "he's a doctor, who helped my son out after a nasty car accident. And this, is Jasper," he said pulling Jasper tighter to him in a side hug, "Edward's boyfriend and if he says yes, soon to be husband. So what do you say Jasper, will you marry Edward?"

My heart beat loudly in my chest as I waiting for his reply, I couldn't think of a more romantic proposal than this and David was more than happy to help out when Duncan ran it past him. Jasper's eyes flickered between me and David, before he screamed out a "yes", much to the crowds delight. Hooting and hollering was echoing through the stadium. Jasper moved to me and pulled me in to a hugs, as we made our way of stage to David continuing on, "this song is dedicated to them, it has special meaning to them so I saved it for last."

The strains of Let's Dance started to play as Jasper pulled me tight to him from backstage.

"I can't believe you did all this for me, you are the most remarkable, wonderful, perfect man in the world. I love you so much Edward and I can't wait to marry you. Hey?" he added as an after thought, "do you think Bowie would play our wedding."

I chuckled at him, turning to kiss is beautiful lips, before we got lost in the rhythm of the music.


	8. Yogacat

_This is is for Zig's on her bday....I love you bb. It is beta'd by me...so it is not beta'd. so all mistakes and ugliness are my fault. _

**BOTTOM COUNTRY**

My mother fucking sister was driving me crazy. This latest request of hers was sure to push me out of the house, despite the fact that I owned the damn thing. She had a fetish addiction, seriously. She liked her lovers in stilettos; she dressed in leather, all the fucking time and all her sexual partners had large, prominent incisor teeth…male or female. Gender, she was not picky about. Her latest infatuation was collecting strange reptilian creatures and birds . She had 7 different species of snakes, all venomous or deadly, 2 mini-alligator looking things, lizards and a large menagerie of birds. These beasts had taken over the very large conservatory attached to the house. It resembled a small jungle. Needless to say, I did not enjoy that room with the same enthusiasm that I used to.

I had actually had grown quite fond of the nocturnal aves. I enjoyed listening to the birds hoot and chirp late at night while I was unable to sleep. Unfortunately, one had a run in with one of the snakes. We saved its body, but lost its soul. It really was surprising that something like this didn't happen more often, given the number or predators that inhabited the conservatory. Maybe it did and the animals just took care of it themselves.

Claiming the mangled owl had been one her favorites, I was now on my current errand for my demanding sister, driving to some taxidermy shop in a god forsaken town in the middle of nowhere, with said owl in a cooler in the trunk of my car.

I assumed I was getting close, the roads were now unpaved and the dust was making it hard to see. _Probably why there was so much road kill around here._ I slowed down so I wasn't creating such a cloud. I passed a car in a ditch and thought about pulling over, but that was probably normal around here. In front of me, I could barely make out a bright pink shape. As the dust settled, it was obvious that it was connected to a pair of cut offs that covered a very shapely rear end with long tan legs. I stopped the car to give the dust a chance to settle.

As the air cleared, I was able to apprise what was ahead of me. The body belonged to a woman. She was stomping her way down the road with some kind of purpose, causing her hair blond to swing back and forth furiously and her body to move in such a way that was very enticing, if not a bit intimidating. I put the car in neutral and let it coast toward her. As I got closer, I heard a voice, it was not melodic in the least, but it was completely uninhibited and charming in its own way.

_Oh won't you take me home tonight?  
Oh down beside that red firelight  
Oh and you give it all you got  
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round……….._

Top of her lungs, completely off key...it was spell binding. I watched as her ass swayed to the beat of the song she was listening to. Her bottom was not fat…it was delicious. I stopped the car next to her as she belted out the last line. I must have had a smile on my face a mile wide. This was just to fucking cute for words. She stopped in her tracks, turned to me and a blush broke out across her face and proceeded to take over every visible inch of her skin that was showing.

I didn't think it was possible, but my smile grew. I liked the way she was making me feel and I had only seen her for a few minutes.

The expression on her face changed in an instant. Her brow crossed and the redness of her skin deepened.

"Holy shit," she backed away from my car, clearly pissed off. Somehow that anger made a bee line for my crotch, which felt the heat she was radiating. I felt a twitch, a throb, a life growing in my pants.

"What the hell Mister, you can't just coast up along someone like that. Doesn't that fancy car come with some kind of warning device?" Her arms were crossed just beneath her breasts, pushing them up ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry; I was trying not to startle you."

She snorted. Fuck, even that caused my pants to jump.

"Well, I guess that really didn't work all that well, did it?" She huffed. "So what are you doing out here anyway? I've never seen you before."

"Oh. I'm looking for a taxidermy shop…It's on Hummingbird Lane." I looked at the piece of paper on which Pam scrawled the name and address of the shop on. "I spoke to the proprietor earlier in the day, so someone is expecting me."

She smirked. "I can show you where that is…I mean…" She suddenly seemed unsure of herself. She looked up at me, her expression appeared conflicted, her blue eyes, huge, questioning, and sizing me up.

I tried to put her at ease. "My name is Eric Northman. I'm from Shreveport. I came here, because one of my pets met with an unfortunate demise and I'd like it to be preserved, for memory sake. It's in the trunk, if you'd like to see it."

I wanted to bang me head on the dashboard. As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I would not be put at ease by anything I had just said

.

She looked at the trunk and eyed me, cautiously. "Trunks kind of freak me out; I'll just take your word for it." She shrugged. "Look, my car broke down." She grumbled something under her breath. "If you can drop me off at work, I can tell you how to get to the taxidermy place from there, it's a straight shot."

That was easier than I thought. "I'd be happy to drop you off." I reached over and opened the passenger side door for her.

As she settled into the leather seat, she turned and stuck out her hand. "I'm Sookie, by the way, nice to meet you Eric Northman." I took her hand. It was soft and warm. And her scent was overwhelming. I had never reacted to someone so intensely before. My entire body throbbed just from being close to her.

I tried to gain control of myself.

"Um, Eric," she mused, "My job is this way…" She pointed down the road. I shifted the car out of neutral and tried to distract my mind and body by telling her my tale of woe, well, Pam's tale anyway.

The time passed quickly and Sookie gave me directions to Hummingbird Lane, my actual destination.

Pam had found Gran's Taxidermy and Animal Mounting Shoppe by word of mouth. Apparently it was renowned throughout the state for its thorough restoration of especially "damaged" animals and head mounting. 

_TBC…………I love you Zigs. Happy day to you._

_~cat _


	9. PerfectlyPersuasive

**ZIG! Happy Birthday, lovely girl!!! I hope you enjoy your birthday and get lots of fun things. Yoga put this all together for you, and when she emailed me, I said, but of course I'll write something for Zigster. This, unfortunately for you, is what I wrote. ;) Love you big time girl! -Nicole

* * *

**

**A Thunder Clap of Love**

Edward frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He just couldn't get a hold of his emotions. If he didn't know better, he would say he was... confused.

That didn't make sense, though. He never got confused. Edward was a 107 year old vampire, and he could read minds, for Aro's sake!

Mind-reading 107 year old vampires knew what was up. They didn't question things like he was questioning... or not questioning, to be more particular. He couldn't say in particular that he was questioning anything because he wasn't confused.

Except now he felt confused about whether or not he was confused.

Something just wasn't adding up.

_Hey, man, why are you feeling so... confused?_

Jasper walked into the room just as his silent question reached Edward's mind, cementing Edward's original worry. He peered to his left to find Jasper staring at him with wide eyes, his blond curly hair sitting deliciously on top of his handsome face...

NO!

He didn't feel that way. He didn't want to feel that way. Why would he feel that way now - after all this time? Not that he felt that way, mind you.

Jasper's tongue darted out, wetting his pink lips, and Edward almost went cross-eyed.

_Edward..._

"I never get confused!" he shouted at Jasper, interrupting the blonde's thoughts, before he ran out of the room. "Never!" he repeated once in the kitchen for prosperity, hand thrown high into the air.

Never.

***ZIG***

_There are things I have seen that would make your blood curl. There are many dark days in our futures, young vampire._

Edward took a deep breath and turned to look at Alice.

"You know I hate when you think in that Gypsy voice," he reminded her, and she burst into a fit of girlish giggles.

She stopped suddenly, narrowing her eyes at him. "Seriously, though, what the fuck, Lego my Eggo?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Why did I see you all up on my hub's love pole?" She moved her head from side to side, snapping her fingers with thunderous snaps.

"Shut your mouth!" he whispered. "Emmett is in the basement!"

"I know where he is, and he better WASH THOSE PANTIES BEFORE HE PUTS THEM BACK!" she shouted the end of her statement.

Emmett grunted in acknowledgment of her words, and Edward immediately tuned Emmett out. He did not need to hear that.

"Ugh, you'd think with Rose he'd get enough, but he has to beat his meat like twelve times a day. I'm sick of getting visions of Emmett's latest masturbation station," Alice grumbled. Edward groaned in sympathy and disgust.

"Must we talk about that?" he questioned, turning his stone nose up at the thought.

"No, we don't have to," Alice agreed. _We do have to talk about why I saw you and my man doing the horizontal tango_, she added silently.

"That's utterly ridiculous," Edward sneered. "You must be losing your touch."

"Oh hoh, brother, I saw it," she replied, eyes wide. She tapped her temple with her pointer and middle finger. "In. Mah. Head."

"The full moon will change the fortunes of our lives. What happens shall happen. It is already set in motion, young vampire," she added in the spooky Gypsy voice.

"That will never happen," he scoffed. "Your power must be on the fritz."

Alice jumped high in the air, pulling one knee up in some crazy kung-fu movie. Except in a kung-fu movie, she would be going in slow motion. Alice was instead moving super fast. Before Edward could even react to her thoughts, she was on top of him, her hands twisted in his shirt.

"My power is awesome!" she roared, her tiny voice not so tiny at all. "Say it!" she demanded.

"Your power is awesome," Edward declared in a quiet voice.

"Say: your power makes my power look like it rides the short bus to school!" she told him, ripping his shirt to shreds. He said it, but he didn't believe it.

"That's right, Eddie Van Halen," Alice jeered, doing a back flip off Edward. "Your power sucks my power's dick!"

She added in her mind, _Just like you'll be sucking Jasper's. _

"Alice!" he screeched., but she just turned toward the door.

"Later, nerd," she said with a small wave of her hand as she exited.

***ZIG***

Edward was determined to never let what Alice saw happen. He wasn't gay. He liked boobs. Rock hard vampire girl boobs. Tiny mountains chiseled into their chests if you will. Chiseled, like they were carved out of marble. Straining against a flat stomach and abs that you could grate cheese on, if you ate cheese, that is. Broad shoulders and a tapered waist...

NO!

Boobs. Tits. Breasts.

Not men. Not pecs and abs and butts. Well, lady butts were okay, he supposed. Everyone had a butt. That was totally gender neutral. He could think about butts. They were safe.

He let his mind wander, imagining a round yet tight derriere that was just ripe for squeezing and licking. Jasper's face flickered into his thoughts then, giving him a dangerous grin before he bent over, exposing himself and making Edward's chino's grow tight.

_Oh, man, Edward, what's gotten you so horny? I've never felt these strong of emotions from you._

Edward screamed loudly in frustration when Jasper's silent inquiry encroached his mind. "I have self control," he yelled out loud for anyone who cared to listen. He added, almost as an afterthought, "and boobs are awesome," just because he thought he should.

Then, he ran out of the house and didn't return until the next day.

***ZIG***

Two weeks later, the "children" were hunting in the woods near the house on a sunny day, leaving Carlisle and Esme behind to have some alone time. Emmett and Alice had run ahead, playing some elaborate game of tag with obscure rules that made absolutely no sense.

Alice had made the game up, of course.

Rosalie had already given up on her husband and sister, and she had found a rock to sunbathe on which in Edward's mind was completely ridiculous. Though, completely ridiculous were the best words to describe Rose in Edward's opinion.

Edward watched them bob through the trees before Alice scrambled up the limbs of a tall oak. She leaped onto Emmett's back, holding on tight like some sort of monkey, a little monkey, though. Edward was thinking she looked like a spider monkey.

"Tag, bitch!" Alice yelled, holding on tight as Emmett tried to buck her off his back. "I got eight seconds!" she cheered a moment later, still astride his back. "I'm the rodeo champ, motherfuckers!"

"Such language," Edward remarked to himself, shaking his head at the display. Even after all these years, he was shocked at some of the foul words that came out of such a tiny girl.

"She's definitely a firecracker," Jasper said, almost startling Edward. He was a vampire, though. He did not get startled.

"You would know," Edward stated without thinking, his words sounding bitter even to his own ears. He mentally cursed himself, only barely managing to hold back a twitch he felt building behind his left eye.

"Yeah, she's important to me," Jasper replied quietly, moving almost unnoticeably closer to Edward, but Edward did indeed notice. "She's been there for me through a lot."

"Yes, well, you love her," Edward commented, swallowing down his anger and resentment that bubbled up with that annoying fact. He must be feeling that way only because he himself wanted someone to love, Edward assured himself. It would never be because Alice had Jasper. He didn't want Jasper.

He clenched his jaw. He didn't want him at all.

"As much as I can," Jasper whispered his response, and Edward turned to him, confused. He narrowed his eyes slightly and tuned himself into Jasper's mind. His thoughts, though, were singing some horrible tick-tock song about clocks and partying. It was horrendous. He was obviously hiding something. His statement, 'as much as I can,' was vague and filled with a strange longing that Edward couldn't place. He knew there was more to the statement, but he just had no clue what it was.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked, looking back out at the trees where Emmett was doing somersaults with Alice running on top of him like some crazy circus act. Jasper laughed at their antics, and they both watched them together for a moment. Edward couldn't let go of Jasper's last words, though. They kept replaying again and again in his mind. He hated that he was so curious about this subject, about Jasper and his love life. It shouldn't matter that Jasper loved Alice. He grit his teeth harshly, and it sounded like two boulders crashing together.

_Are you okay?_

"Fine," he snapped, turning back toward the face that haunted his dreams... well, daydreams. What a stupid face it was, anyway, Edward thought. All angles and plush lips and bright eyes and wide smile. He was disgusting looking. Edward could have sneered at the ugliness, but his mouth seemed to be only able to form a small, shy smile. He took a deep unneeded breath. "What did you mean, 'as much as you can?'" Edward asked again.

Jasper chuckled humorlessly, staring at Edward from the corner of his eye. "Everything is not always as they seem, Edward," he remarked cryptically, placing his hand on his shoulder and leaning in toward Edward's face. If he needed to breathe, he would have forgotten how at this moment. Jasper's mouth was right next to his ear, his ice cold vampire breath was bursting against Edward's rock hard skin. "You should know that," he finished in a whisper before he whipped around and ran toward Alice and Emmett joining in their vampire games.

Rose turned up then, clothed in a red polka dot bikini, her pale skin still pale even though she had been lying in the sun. "Are we done with this shit, yet?" she remarked in a bored tone, and Edward only shook his head in answer.

He was afraid that the "shit" had only just begun.

***ZIG***

As the rest of the week passed, Alice and Jasper were constantly watched by Edward. He read their thoughts. He followed their every move with his eyes and other senses. He particularly paid close attention to Alice's visions, hoping to see what she dangled before his eyes two weeks prior. He wanted it, even though he wouldn't admit it even to himself. Jasper was the carrot to his donkey, and he was going to get that carrot inside him one way or another.

When he had that particular thought, though, Edward would have blushed if he still had the ability.

As much as Edward watched them, they kept tabs on Edward, whispering together, discussing Jasper's insight to his emotions and Alice's perception of the future. Their heads were always together, so intimately linked that it was starting to drive Edward insane. He didn't like it. He didn't like the looks they gave him or the way Jasper had started brushing against him every chance he got. Well, he _liked_ it, but he didn't like it at the same time. It made him feel out of control, and Edward needed control like Rosalie needed to complain.

By that Thursday evening, Edward was feeling like he was on the brink of losing his sanity, and he knew something was going to have to give. With an exasperated sigh, he left the house, hoping to find some solace amongst the trees and mountains.

Some time later, Edward was sitting atop the highest peak, letting his feet dangle from the edge. He watched the full moon rise in the sky, bathing him in a cool light. He sighed. It seemed appropriate. He even debated talking to the Man in the Moon. That, though, seemed inappropriate.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Edward startled, hissing at the intrusion upon his silent brooding. He was also not very happy that Jasper had sneaked up on him once again.

"The moon is a magnificent work of the Universe's paint brush," Edward remarked. Jasper tried not to roll his eyes.

"I wasn't talking about the moon, Edward," Jasper commented, sitting down next to Edward on the edge of the cliff. Jasper turned to him, looking him right in the eyes. "I was talking about... you," he whispered, bringing his hand to Edward's face, cupping his cheek in his palm.

"Well, I'll be a vampire's vagina," Edward mumbled out in shock.

Jasper let out a bark of laughter, causing wolves to howl up at the full moon. He gave Edward a guilty smile. "I'm glad you're not."

Edward was slightly embarrassed... well, more than slightly. "I don't know why I said that," he murmured. He locked his eyes back to the full moon. "I don't understand, though, Jasper," he continued in a soft voice. He was trying to remain calm, but Edward was getting really fucking excited.

"I think you do. I can feel your emotions, Edward. I know what you want."

"Oh yeah?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side. "And what is it that I want?"

Jasper smirked at him. "Me," he remarked simply before he crashed his lips to Edwards. Their mouths met with a loud crack, sounding like a loud thunder clap in the distance.

A thunder clap of love.

Edward reluctantly pulled away after a moment, staring into Jasper's eyes until he went a little cross-eyed and had to look away. "What about Alice?" he finally asked, worry carved into his stone face.

"We don't have the relationship that was assumed of us," he admitted, giving Edward a small smile.

Edward gasped. "You two aren't married?"

Jasper turned his eyes to the moon and took a deep breath. "We aren't, but I do love her. She's just not what I need. She's not a guy." He turned back to Edward. "She's not you."

Edward couldn't help but grin. "So, you two have just been platonic friends all these years? Why hide the truth?"

Jasper gave him a guilty grin. "Well, you know, not platonic _platonic_..." He shrugged. "I mean, look at Alice, she practically has a dude's body. I mean, a tiny dude, but a dude."

Edward frowned. "I see."

Jasper shook his head and threw his arm around Edward's shoulders. "Don't be like that, Edward. I've been waiting for you for a long time. Don't shut me out."

"You've been waiting for me?" came his almost silent reply. Jasper nodded, and Edward lifted his lips to his, kissing him firmly. "Jasper," Edward whispered. "I want you."

Jasper gulped down the venom pooling in his mouth and licked his lips. "That's awesome," he replied.

Edward fought back the grimace over Jasper's unromantic words, forcing a smile instead.

When they came together under the full moon, though, their bodies crashing together like two boulders rolling down a hill, Edward's smile was anything but forced.

He had never been happier.

***ZIG***

The next morning, the two lovers walked into the house hand in hand, sheepish smiles gracing their timeless faces.

"About time, you pussies," Alice screeched, running over to the boys and hugging them both as best as she could. The rest of the family entered the room, curiosity filling their minds.

"What is this?" Carlisle asked with a small smile, nodding his head at their interlocked fingers.

Jasper spoke for them, "Edward and I are together now."

"You two like dicks?" Emmett yelled out in surprise. "Since when?"

"For as long as I can remember," Jasper told him.

"Uh, since about a month ago," Edward replied.

"Well smack my ass and call my Shirley," Emmett scoffed, but he smiled, showing he still cared about his brothers.

"Later... Shirley," Rosalie whispered in her husband's ear, giving him a sultry wink. She thought she was being quiet, but they were vampires. They heard it.

Alice then walked to the center of the room, demanding attention. They all turned to her. "I have something to say," she stated loudly.

"Tell us, Alice," Carlisle encouraged.

"Now that my husband has the person he wanted riding his cock," she started, motioning to Edward, "I can finally announce this..." she trailed off for dramatic suspense.

"What?" Esme begged, hoping her daughter was not in distress.

Alice grinned. "I'm a lesbian, and I've fallen for a girl." Everyone's eyes went wide. "Also, she's human."

Rosalie growled, and the rest of the family gasped.

Alice chuckled, nodding her head. "Who saw that one coming?" she questioned, raising her hand in the air. "Ah, so just me?"

"Who is this human?" Carlisle asked.

Alice thrust her hips in a rocking motion, humping the air. "Bella, bitches. Her name is Bella."


End file.
